Cuba Archive - Case 271

Case ID: 271

Title: N/A

First name: Fidel Fermín

Last name: Fundora Pérez

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:11 / Month:10 / Year:1928

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:9 / Month:6 / Year:1964

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Havana

Last known province-TOD: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known province current: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Villa Marista State Security Headquarters

Location of death - city: Havana

Location of death province - at TOD: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death province - current: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: No

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: State Security agents

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Fidel had been a member of the 26th of July movement during the Batista dictatorship, but became disenchanted with the Castro government and joined a resistance group. A car mechanic, he was arrested at work (at a car repair shop owned by his father in law located at Avenida Porvenir, Lawton-Batista, Havana). The family did not know where they had taken him and for a week looked for him at police and military installations to no avail. His wife then went to the G-2 (political police) headquarters at Villa Marista to inquire of his whereabouts. The officer turned to another and said, "Fidel Fundora, isn´t that the guy who hung himself last night?" She fainted upon hearing this. As they revived her, while she was still laying on the floor, they told her they would only release the body if just the immediate family went to the funeral home. They did not allow his burial at the family grave at Colón Cemetery of Havana and had to bury him in a common grave there. Years later, the family had contact with the forensic doctor at the morgue who handled his body, Dr. La Flor. He told them he had been instructed not to do an autopsy and that the body had many bruises and contusions. Fundora left a wife and 5 year-old daughter. They remained in Cuba under the tutelage of her maternal grandfather, who supported the revolutionary government and was suspected of having turned him in. The child was raised to believe her father was a traitor and was kept from contact with her father´s family, who left for exile.
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Fidel había sido miembro del movimiento del 26 de julio durante la dictadura de Batista, pero se desencantó con el gobierno de Castro y se unió a un grupo de resistencia. Era mecánico de automóviles, fue detenido en el trabajo (en un taller de reparación de coches propiedad de su suegro ubicado en la Avenida Porvenir, Lawton-Batista, La Habana). La familia no sabía dónde lo habían llevado y durante una semana lo buscaron en instalaciones policiales y militares en vano. Su esposa fue a la sede del G-2 (policía política) en Villa Marista para investigar su paradero. El oficial se volvió hacia otro y dijo: -Fidel Fundora, ¿no es ese tipo el que se ahorcó anoche? Se desmayó al oír esto. Mientras la reanimaban, estando todavía estaba tendida en el suelo, le dijeron que sólo entregarían el cuerpo si la familia inmediata iba a la funeraria. No permitieron su entierro en la tumba de la familia en el Cementerio Colón de La Habana y tuvieron que enterrarlo en una tumba común allí. Años más tarde, la familia tuvo contacto con el médico forense de la morgue que manejaba su cuerpo, el Dr. La Flor. Les dijo que habían sido instruidos para no hacer una autopsia y que el cuerpo tenía muchas golpes y contusiones. Fundora dejó una esposa y una hija de 5 años. Permanecieron en Cuba bajo la tutela de su abuelo materno, que apoyaba al gobierno revolucionario y se sospechaba de haberlo denunciado. La niña fue criada creyendo que su padre era un traidor y no se le permitió contacto con la familia de su padre que se había exilado.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing

Occupations: - Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Anti-Castro insurgent or resistance member

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Fidel Fermín Fundora Pérez